Chinese political advisors are calling for imposing a carbon tax on energy-intensive and high-emission businesses and promoting low-carbon awareness campaigns among the general public amid efforts to combat global climate change.

It is "obviously necessary" and "feasible" for China to levy such a tax, an environmental tax on the carbon content of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, said Jia Kang, director of the Research Institute of Fiscal Science with the Finance Ministry Tuesday.

"That will help reduce carbon emissions, eliminate low-efficiency and backward technologies, encourage the development of clean energy and low-carbon industries, and promote sustainable development," he said.

Jia, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks while attending the ongoing annual session of the country's top political advisory body in Beijing.

He said China has imposed taxes related to protecting the environment, such as the fuel tax, but the environmental taxation system still needs improvement.

"As a tax directly targeting carbon emissions, a carbon tax is able to markedly strengthen the control of carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption," he said.

Jia also pointed out that the levying of a carbon tax can reduce risks of being hurt in international trade friction, as some developed countries have mulled levying such a tax and will also likely impose carbon tariffs on imported products from other countries that do not have quotas for emissions reductions -- like the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed by the US House of Representatives last June.

"But if we have already levied a carbon tax in China, the other countries would be suspected of double taxation by imposing carbon tariffs, which violates World Trade Organization agreements," he said.

Jia said it is "feasible" for China to levy a carbon tax on the basis of the successful implementation of fuel tax reforms and the consensus of developing a low-carbon economy reached by the government and public.

"If the reform of resource taxes goes well, we can consider starting to levy a carbon tax within 2-5 years after that reform is completed," he said.